INDUSTRIAL ACTION: Firefighters call off next weeks strike at 27 Airports

Earlier this week the United Fire Fighters Union of Australia’s aviation branch scheduled strike action at 27 airports across Australia next week. This threatened to disrupt international and domestic flights, since some airlines don’t allow arrival at an airport that is not appropriately staffed with firefighters

New Agreement reached

Looks like the threat had the desired effect with firefighters reaching a new enterprise agreement, whereby they will receive a 4.9% salary increase.

The union had scheduled protected industrial action between 6 am and 10 am next Friday, covering all capital city gateways amongst 27 airports nationally.

The strike was based on there being a shortage of firefighters after 100 or so firefighters took voluntary redundancy starting in October 2021. The union claimed that this resulted in around 600 flights each month operating with insufficient fire fighters on duty.

2PAXfly Takeout

This is another timely reminder to wear your seatbelt when seated. Holding you close to your seat will protect you from the sort of injuries sustained on this flight, when unsecured passengers flew to the ceiling of the aircraft, and then came crashing down once the ‘drop’ ceased.

The hope will be that this is an anomaly – a ‘freak accident’ in casual parlance. If it is a systemic error either mechanical or electronic, then this is a larger concern for the airlines that fly Boeing Dreamliner 787 aircraft. Let’s hope it isn’t. If it is, it will pile on the woes to Boeing’s existing stack.

Mmmm, The cynical me says this supposed lack of safety was just a tactic to get a 4.9% pay increase. There goes the trust in firefighters . . .